David Adjmi’s Stereophonic zooms in on a music studio in the mid-1970s, where an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. Will the ensuing pressures spark their breakup — or their breakthrough? Featuring original music by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, this intimate, electric play mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation.
There’s a lot to admire about Stereophonic. The cast gives feel-real performances under the thoughtful direction of Daniel Aukin. David Zinn's recording studio set could pass for the real thing. Enver Chakartash's costumes, particularly the chunky-heeled huaraches, could have walked out of a ’70s closet. On the B-side (er, downside), Adjmi calls the play a “love letter to artists.” In terms of fresh ideas about the creative process, the play doesn’t deliver an LP’s worth of insights. In the end, it feels like a song we’ve heard before.
So however you want to categorize “Stereophonic” — perhaps a playical? — the great thing is that it doesn’t founder, as most theatrical treatments of the artistic process do, on either side of the genre divide. The music justifies the long buildup, and the play, Adjmi’s best so far, is as rich and lustrous as they come. You could even call it platinum.
2023 | Off-Broadway |
Playwrights Horizons Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
2024 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Costume Design | Enver Chakartash |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Director | Daniel Aukin |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play | Eli Gelb |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Lighting Design | Jiyoun Chang |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Play | David Adjmi |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Scenic Design | David Zinn |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Sound Design | Ryan Rumery |
Videos